Stolen vehicle recovery support apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for supporting recovery of the vehicle if the vehicle is stolen includes a determining unit that determines whether the vehicle is being stolen. A camera judges a state of the vehicle and an environment around the vehicle. When the determining unit determines that the vehicle is being stolen, a horn of the vehicle is automatically honked.

1. An apparatus provided in a vehicle for supporting recovery of the vehicle if the vehicle is stolen, the apparatus comprising:
 a determining unit that determines whether the vehicle is being stolen; 
 a judging unit that judges a state of the vehicle and an environment around the vehicle based on criteria of safety or prevention of vehicle accidents, the environment including at least one of a shape of a path to be traveled by the vehicle and a presence of surrounding vehicles; 
 a plurality of supporting units each capable of executing support processes to prevent theft of the vehicle; and 
 a selecting unit that selects, when the determining unit determines that the vehicle is being stolen, at least one supporting unit among the supporting units to execute a corresponding support process according to a state of the vehicle and an environment around the vehicle judged by the judging unit, 
 wherein the plurality of supporting units includes a notifying unit that sends a notification of a state of the vehicle to a predetermined contact point, 
 wherein on a condition that the determining unit determines that a communication terminal held by a user of the vehicle is outside of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling, the notifying unit sends the notification to the communication terminal or to an information center, and 
 wherein on a condition that the determining unit determines that the vehicle is being stolen based on information received from the communication terminal, the notifying unit sends the notification to a security agency or to a police station. 
 
   
   
     2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the supporting units include:
 an informing unit that informs surroundings of the vehicle that the vehicle is stolen; 
 a drive-obstruction unit that provides control to enable driving of the vehicle; 
 a travel-stop unit that provides control to stop the vehicle if the vehicle is moving; 
 a travel-function stop unit that stops a travel function of the vehicle; and
 a warning output unit that outputs a warning. 
 
 
   
   
     3. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the informing unit executes at least one of:
 honking a horn; 
 screeching a brake; 
 opening a window of the vehicle and outputting sound from a speaker at full volume; and 
 lighting a lamp system of the vehicle at a time when the lamp system would not normally be operated during standard operation of the vehicle. 
 
   
   
     4. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the drive-obstruction unit executes at least one of:
 controlling a wiper of the vehicle to operate at a time when the wiper would not normally be operated during standard operation of the vehicle; and 
 controlling an air-conditioner of the vehicle to operate at a time when the air-conditioner would not normally be operated during standard operation of the vehicle. 
 
   
   
     5. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the drive-obstruction unit executes at least one of:
 refusing acceptance of a brake operation; 
 causing the vehicle to suddenly accelerate; and 
 discontinuing steering assistance, and 
 the selecting unit selects the drive-obstruction unit to interfere with traveling of the vehicle when the judging unit judges that the vehicle is traveling and that there is no risk of an accident. 
 
   
   
     6. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the selecting unit selects the travel-stop unit to stop the vehicle from traveling when the judging unit judges that it is safe for the vehicle to stop, or when a thief stops driving the vehicle. 
 
   
   
     7. The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the selecting unit selects the travel-stop unit to stop the vehicle from traveling when the judging unit judges that the vehicle is near a police station or at a location where attention can be attracted. 
 
   
   
     8. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the travel-function stop unit stops the travel function of the vehicle by disabling startup of a travel control device that controls travel of the vehicle. 
 
   
   
     9. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the notifying unit sends at least one of an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and an image of an interior of the vehicle or both together with the notification. 
   
   
     10. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the predetermined contact point is the police station, and 
 the warning unit warns the thief when there is a reply from the police station in response to the notification. 
 
   
   
     11. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the selecting unit selects one of the plurality of supporting units in accordance with an instruction received from a user. 
   
   
     12. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the determining unit that determines that the vehicle is stolen when the judging unit detects vehicle transporting equipment near the vehicle. 
   
   
     13. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the environment includes both the shape of a path to be traveled by the vehicle and the presence of surrounding vehicles. 
   
   
     14. The apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the state of the vehicle includes a speed of the vehicle.